Pakistan Bans Indian Aircraft from Its Airspace

Pakistan has banned Indian aircraft from flying in its airspace.

The decision came after a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu-Kashmir, on Tuesday, which killed 26 people, increasing tensions between the two countries. Pakistan's move follows India's decision to suspend the Indus Water Treaty.

After the Pahalgam attack, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was on a visit to Saudi Arabia, cut his trip short and called a security cabinet meeting the next day. The meeting led to five decisions, including the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty.

In response, Pakistan announced on Thursday that it would suspend all bilateral agreements with India, including trade, and would stop Indian aircraft from using its airspace. This decision affects major Indian airlines, such as Air India and Indigo, as some of their planes were flying over Pakistan’s airspace at the time. After the announcement, those flights were diverted back to India, according to Reuters.

Now, with Pakistan’s airspace closed to Indian aircraft, flights from India to destinations like New York, Azerbaijan, and Dubai will have to take longer routes. This will increase flight costs and travel time. Previously, Indian planes used Pakistani airspace for flights to Europe, the Middle East, and North America.

Amid the growing tensions between India and Pakistan, the United Nations has urged both countries to exercise maximum restraint and resolve issues through dialogue.